5-6 Science Fair Handbook

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR

1. Start Early. On average, it takes about 6 weeks for students to complete a science fair project. Make sure there is ample time provided. 2.Be explicit in your expectations from students and parents. Ensure that you’ve let the parents know that the work should only be done by the student. 3.Send home a packet for parents, which should include a letter explaining the process, rubric, timeline, safety guidelines, list of projects to avoid, and abstracts from quality projects. 4.Post a timeline in your classroom, or view the timeline often with the students. 5.Give the students a science fair notebook where they can organize all their work. 6.Have students fill out USEF paperwork PRIOR to experimentation. Paperwork can be found at: https://usef.utah.edu 7.Have students present their project to the class, and use the provided scoring rubric. This eliminates the need for judges, and improves accuracy in the grading of projects. 8.Feedback is an important part of the learning process, so give the kids their scoring rubrics back with any positive feedback or improvement feedback. 9.There are many different options for how to arrange your fair. We recommend that it become a part of your school day, and that students set up their display boards in their classrooms. Parents, and other classes can be invited to come and view the work of your students. This is a great for students as it offers multiple opportunities to communicate their problem, procedures, and results. Fairs can be held in the evening, if there is a desire to involve more parents. (See standards-based science fair article pg. 9-13) 10.Give visitors “Stupendous Scientist” cards. When they like a project, they fill out the card and give it to the child. 11.Check with ISD to determine how many district science fair slots your school will have. Choose the projects that were top scorers according to the scoring rubric to participate in the district fair. 12.STUDENTS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO GROW BACTERIA IN AN APPROVED LAB. (MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, OR PROFESSIONAL LAB). Projects involving bacteria grown at home will be DISQUALIFIED.